keep yourselves from the accursed thing

"And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed" (1 Chron. 2:7).

Achar, also known as Achan, brought great trouble to Israel when he secretly took of the spoils of war (silver, gold and a Babylonish garment) and hid them in his home. These spoils of war were accursed. In other words they were off limits. In Joshua 6:18-19 Joshua said to the people, “And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”

Because Achan took of the accursed thing, God lifted his hand of protection from Israel which led to them being defeated in battle. It wasn't until his sin was exposed and judged that Israel's strength with God was restored.

God will not turn a blind eye to sin. Do you possess anything in your life that you had to violate God's word in order to get it? Achan took of the accursed thing—that which was off limits. He coveted that which was unlawful for him to possess. In addition the silver and the Gold that was found in the land after they had defeated their enemy was to be placed in the treasury of the Lord. But instead Achan took the sliver and gold that he found and hid it among his own stuff. Anything that we desire that God deems off limits is cursed. Anything that we possess in which we had to violate God’s word in order to get will not have God’s blessing but is in fact cursed. Why? It’s cursed because not only did God deem it to be off limits but it’s closing the door to God’s favor and opening the door to sin’s consequences and Satan’s control.

Many Christians today give very little to the Lord's work because they value their material possessions more. The bible calls this robbing God. In Malachi we read, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:8-9).

Do you know that some Christians have in their possession stolen cars, clothes, Jewelry and the like? Why? Because they robbed God in order to get them. And rather then the things that they rob God to possess bringing them blessings they bring a curse. It’s a curse because they bring us out from under God’s authority where we experience his power, protection and presence and expose us to the realm and power of Satan’s control. Are you in possession of any accursed thing? I’m looking at the things in my home a little differently today. May I never bring into it anything that God would deem accursed.